Labeling machine



Nov. 30, 1954 M. FAIREST EI'AL LABELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1953 2Sheets-Sheet l 4? Inventors 31 2 W. 7M

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M dam Attorneys Nov. 30, 1954 FMREST ETAL 2,695,721

LABELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorneys LABELINGMACHINE Morgan Fairest and Derek H. Fairest, Sheffield, England,assignors to Morgan Fairest Limited, Shefiield, England ApplicationDecember 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,171

8 Claims. (Cl. 216-55) This invention relates to labelling machines forperforming the operation on bottles known as top-strap ping, i. e.,applying a strap-like label over the head of a screwed stopper and downeach side of the end of the bottle neck. a a

The object of the invention is to provide top-strapping means that willbring each end of the label into close conformity with the contour ofthe end of the bottle neck, thus providing both firm adhesion and neatappearance of the top-strapped bottle.

According to the present invention, top strapping means for a labellingmachine comprises a head containing a central plunger, blocks atopposite sides of and separated from the plunger, a block-holderslidable in the same direction as the plunger, springs urging theplungerand the blocks to a position in which their faces are in linewith each other, means to limit the separate sliding of the plunger intothe head with respect to the blockholder, inter-engaging wedgingsurfaces on the blocks and the head to close the blocks on to the sidesof the plunger in further sliding of the plunger into the head togetherwith the blocks, suction openings in the end face of the block-holder inline with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on the sides of the blocksfacing the sides of the plunger. The. plunger itself may contain asuction opening in its face.

With a label held by its ungummed side to the end face of theblock-holder by suction applied through the openings, and with the labelheld across the face of the plunger in line with the blocks, endwisepressure between the head and a stoppered bottle supported co-axiallywith the plunger causes theplunger to slide into the head, the labelbeing trapped between the plunger face and the end of the stopper. Theends of the label are drawn from the end face of the block-holder andlie in the spaces between the two blocks and the sides of the plunger.

The first inward movement of the plunger is suflicient for the labelends to lie wholly within these spaces, alongside the resilient surfacesof the blocks, the face of the plunger having receded beyond the innerends of these surfaces. Further inward movement of the plunger thenmoves the block-holder with it, and the blocks close on to the labelends and the resilient surfaces press the label ends on to the edges ofthe stopper and on to the sides of the mouth end of the bottle neck Theinward movement of the blocks in this further movement of the plunger isnecessarily accompanied by the equal inward movement of the bottle mouthinto the head, so that there is no relative lengthwise movement betweenthe blocks and the bottle mouth: only the closing movement of theblocks. Consequently, the resilient surfaces of the blocks merely causethe label to be pressed to the contours of the stopper edges and of themouth end of the bottle neck, the resilience enabling the surfaces toconform closely to these contours.

Advantageously, the surfaces are hollowed lengthwise to conformgenerally to the periphery of the mouth end, so that the resilientthickness of the surface merely has to accommodate itself to the singleor multiple rim of the mouth end.

When the pressure between the plunger face and the stopper is relaxed,the blocks are free to move outwards away from the bottle mouth. Theremay be so urged by springs. When the stopper is finaly freed from theplunger, the plunger face is once again in line with the suction facesof the block-holder.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described States in greaterdetail with respect to the accompanying draw ings, in which Figure l isa vertical section of the head preparatory to the application of alabelto a bottle; a a w 1 1 Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1, showing thelabel applied to the bottle; t

Figure 3 is a side elevation from the left of Figure 1; t a H a tF'gclllre 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure an a i Figure 5corresponds toFigure 1, but shows an alternative construction. 1

t he head body 1 has a conical flared end 2 leading to a parallel bore 3in which is guided a cylindrical centre portion 4 of a block-holder 5,with two radial. slots 6 in the end of the holder within the conicalflare carrying radial fins 7 ofsliding blocks 8. t a

-The fins 7 have inclined outer faces 9 bearing against thecorrespondingly inclined inner faces of wedge fins 10 proejcting throughslots 11 in the flare 2 and carried by plates 12 secured to the flare.The wedge faces are rather more sharply inclined than the wall of theflare, but a similar action (as explained below) is obtainable by havingthe faces 9 bear against the inside of the wall (Figure 5); however, theseparate wedges: 10 are advantageous inbeing replaceable in the event ofwear, besides allowing a sharper operating angle to be used. The blocks8 are urged outwards by springs 13.

An inner cylindrical portion 14 of the holder 4 is of smaller diameterand fits a corresponding smaller bore 15 in the head. It ends in acollar 16 urged by a spring 17 into contact with the end 18 of a largerbore 19 continuing in the head beyond the bore 15. A sleeve 20 fitswithin the smaller bore 21 of the holder 4 and guides an (to a smallerscale) taken innerhead 22 of a cylindrical plunger 23 fitting andprojecting from a reduced bore 24 in the sleeve 20. The plunger is boredat 25 to receive a spring 26 that urges the inner head 22 against theend 27 of its bore.

An outer head 28 of the plunger 23 bears against the lower end 29 of thesleeve when the plunger is compressed against the action of the spring26, and the end 29 of the sleeve forms a collar that bears on the innerend 30 of the central bore 21 of the holder 4. Further compression ofthe plunger 23 against the action of its spring 26 causes the holder 4to be compressed against the action of its own spring 17. The blocks 8are carried upwardly by the holderand forced radially inwardsas thefaces9 of the fins 7 then slide along the inner faces of the wedge fins10 (see Figure 2).

Beyond the blocks 8, the holder 4 ends in suction heads 31 with faces 32in line with the face 33 ofithe head 28 of the plunger 23 when thelatter is urged to the limit by its spring 26. The suction heads 31 andthe plunger head 28 are faced with resilient material 34. The faces ofthe suction heads 31 have suction openings .35 connecting with suctionpassages 36, flexible connections 37 (Figure 3) providing for theapplication of suction via tubes 38. A suction opening 39 in the head ofthe plunger 23 is supplied by a central tube 40 from a flexibleconnection41.

The overall area of the resilient faces 34 corresponds to that of thelabel 42 to be applied, and suction applied at the openings 35, 39 holdsa label extended across the resilient face of the plunger.

The flat topped stopper 43 of a bottle 44 lies just below the label 42and in line with the plunger head 28, the head 1 being supported at anappropriate height (which may be adjustable) by an upper bracket 45(Figure 3). A cam raises the bottle 44 (or alternatively depresses thebracket 45) for the centre of the label 42 to be pressed to the stopperand for the plunger head 28 to be urged into the head, the ends46 of thelabel being drawn from the faces 32 to lie between the sides of thebottle mouth 47 and the lengthwise hollowed inner faces 48 of resilientfaces 49 on the blocks 8. When the head 28 meets the collar 29, theholder 4 is urged further into the head, and the blocks 8 close on tothe label ends, to press them firmly to the sides of the stopper 43 andof the bottle mouth 47 (Figure 2). It is not essential for the bottle tobe very accurately centred below the head, because the closing action ofthe blocks Mem s v 2.

centres the bottle as they press the label on to the sides of the bottlemouth; The bottle is lowered, or the head raised, by cam action toretract the block 8 and bring the labelled bottle clear of the headbefore the bottle reaches the. discharge station of the: carrier..

In Figure 5, wedging surfaces 50 on the blocks 51 bear directly on theinner wall 52 of the flare 2,, and the inward movement of theblockscauses opposed wedging, surfaces 53 to slide over the conicalsurface 54of a ring 55, thus forcing the ring upwardly against the action of a:spring 56. When thelabell-ing: is completed, the pressure of the springon the ring, forces. the blocks 51' outwardly.

Gum may be applied over the whole length of the label: if it is. desiredto stick the label. to the stopper face as well as to the sides of thebottle mouth; but gum. may be omitted from the centre of the label ifsticking to the stopper face is not desired, e. g.,, by using, twospaced gum rollers. With a large-diameter carrier, the gum roller orrollers may be cylindrical without producing any noticeable skidding.action on the label. They may, however, be conical if any skidding,tendency arises.

What we claim is;

1. Top-strapping means: for a labelling machine com- .prising, a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in" line with each other, means to limit theseparate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the headto close the blocks on to the sides of theplunger in further sliding ofthe plunger into the head together with the blocks,

suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with theblocks, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing thesides of the plunger.

2. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising aheadcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging, the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each other, means to limit theseparate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the headto close the blocks on to the sides ofv the plunger in. further slidingvof the plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openingsin the end face of the block-holder in line with the blocks, andresilient surfaces on to the sides of the blocks facing the sides of theplunger, the resilient surfaces being. hollowed lengthwise.

3. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each other, means to limit theseparate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, inter-engaging wedging surfaces on the blocks and the headto close the blocks on to the sides of the plunger in further sliding ofthe plunger into the head together with the blocks, suction openings inthe endface of the block-holder in line with the blocks and in the endface of the plunger, and resilient surfaces on to the sides of theblocks facing the sides of the plunger.

4. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a block-holder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each' other, means to limit theseparate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, a conical flared end of the head body, wedges on theblocks to engage the inner wall of the flared end, spring-urged meansserving 4 to urge the wedges into contact with that inner wall, thewedges serving in opposition to the spring-urgedmeansto close the blockson to the sides of the plunger in further sliding of the plunger intothe head together with the blocks, suction openings in the end face ofthe blockholder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on tothe sides of the blocks. facing the sides of the plunger.

5. Top-strapping labelling means as in claim 4, wherein the spring-urgedmeans comprises further wedging surfaces on the blocks, a conical ring,and a spring serving to urge the conical ring into contact with thefurther wedging surfaces.

6. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each other, means towlimi-t theseparate sliding of the plunger into'the. head with respect to theBlock-holder, springs inter-posed between the blocks, wedges extendinginwardly of the headand inter-engaging wedges on the blocks, whereby theblocks are closed on to the sides of the plunger. in opposition to theinterposed springs in further sliding of the plunger into the headtogether with the blocks, suctionopenings in the end face of the.block-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to thesides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

7. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each other, means to limit the.separate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, springs interposed between the blocks, wedges extendinginwardly of the head and inter-engaging wedges onthe blocks, whereby theblocks are closed onto the sides of the plunger in opposition to theinterposed springs in further sliding of the plunger into the headtogether with the blocks, suction openings in the end face of theblock-holder in line with the blocks, and resilient surfaces on to thesides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger, the resilientsurfaces being hollowed lengthwise.

8'. Top-strapping means for a labelling machine comprising a headcontaining a central plunger, blocks at opposite sides of and separatedfrom the plunger, a blockholder slidable in the same direction as theplunger, springs urging the plunger and the blocks to a position inwhich their faces are in line with each other, means to limit theseparate sliding of the plunger into the head with respect to theblock-holder, springs interposed between the blocks, wedges extendinginwardly of the head and inter-engaging wedges on the blocks, wherebythe blocks are closed on to the sides. of the plunger .in

opposition to the interposed springs in further sliding.

of the plunger into the head together with the blocks,

suction openings in the end face of the block-holder in line with theblocks and in the end face of the plunger, and resilient. surfaces on tothe sides of the blocks facing the sides of the plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

